birkland

Sure, this is a kid's movie, but it's sufficiently engaging to hold mom and dad's attention, even through repeated viewings. Little touches like having tiny Stuart wear a NY (football) Giants t-shirt and clever, and the highly stylized look of the film is just fun. The costume designer should get an award for making the costumes look sort of contemporary and "Miracle on 34th Street" at the same time. And while the plot is predictable and telegraphs its punches, it's also gentle and doesn't drag out the scary stuff too long, which makes this a good movie for kids. A lot better than a lot of the kids movies you will run across at Blockbuster.

This movie is charming, touching, and puts together at least three actors who many not have gotten the credit they deserve. Johnny Depp is excellent as the small-town kid trapped in his home town, yearning to get out, yet kept at home due to family commitments. Juliette Lewis, who I associate with really strange characters (Kalifornia, Cape Fear) is very sweet and down to earth as the girl traveling through Iowa with her grandma in an Airstream Trailer. And this may be Leo DiCaprio's best movie as Arnie, a mentally disabled child. I don't dare give away the plot, but check for the supporting roles played by Mary Steenbergen and Kevin Tighe (of Emergency fame!). But Johnny Depp steals the show, much as he also does in Benny and Joon, another fine film.